This book is one of the rare works whose flaws are also its strengths. It's light and fluffy, the heroine is boy-crazy, and both the romantic relationships and same-sex friendships are largely shallow and interchangeable. In other words, it's high school!

I didn't read the first two books, but I had no trouble picking up the gist of the story. At the same time, the back story never got in the way or bogged down the narrative. The heroine's voice is breezy, funny, and yeah, slightly neurotic. She is a slightly-repentant overanalyzer, and the reader will find such humorous happenings as her receipt of a Frog Laden with Meaning from an ex-boyfriend.

At heart, this book is about knowing the difference between real and fair-weather friends, about knowing what you want, what's good for you, and when you can have both in one package.

I didn't care for the portrayal of talk therapy here. The psychiatrist never says anything helpful or meaningful to her, and even though the heroine has panic attacks and assorted neuroses, the psychiatrist never tries to steer the conversation away from the favorite topic: boys, boys, and more boys. I don't think a teenage girl needs counseling just because she spends a lot of time thinking about dating. I think that just means her hormonal development is progressing normally.

All in all, a cute story that would go over well with many teen girls!